Twitchings of the Left Eye
by YamiSeraphim
Summary: Forced to forgo his usual activities when his parents return, Artemis finds himself wondering whether it was worth it or not to have them back in his life. It doesn't help that there is that tiny little voice in his head.. Rated for slash and language
1. How many times can you comply?

_Author: YamiSeraphim_

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Artemis Fowl, I do not own paper (so I'm not responsible for your shortages) or this computer, and definitely not your sock, so please at your discretion, let go. 

Author's Note: This takes place right after the third book, when Artemis's father is still in the hospital. The line listed right after the chapter's name is entirely my own. Isn't it dearest?

Summary: Mother has regained her senses, so naturally she wants her little "Arty" to get a life. Especially the kind where children play childish games outside and "socialize" with other human beings other than a telephone line. (I personally despise the word "mingle". Guess why) So, Butler has been finding recreational activities for Artemis to do, and Artemis discovers a part of himself in return. Major slashiness, though no actual pairings. Some people are just completely inadequate when it comes to faking emotions.

Twitchings of the Left Eye 

Chapter 1 How many times can you comply?

(my sweet, sweet lover eye?)

_It teased with a brisk, warm, tingling sensation, just outside of his reach._

"Artemis, darling, do move a little closer," a husky voice called out, penetrating into the depths of his body that had been previously forgotten for quite a year. However, he did not plan for _his_ body to act in such an undignified, excited manner. Being timid was definitely not a trait of the pale boy with eyes of chipped ice, and he expected to remain that way. Artemis got to his feet slowly, appearing reluctant, whilst his face struggled to deny everything that his sweaty fists were saying. It was just that the room had an aura of hidden meanings, none that were to his liking. Taking careful steps, as if afraid to tread on something undesirable, he lifted one of his traitorous hands to his forehead to brush the bangs that were threatening to stick to his now slightly moist skin.

Artemis could not help but feel that his body had on purposely (unbeknownst to him) tricked himself into entering this accursed chamber.

The soft, spongy carpet underneath his soles spoke of overzealous, superfluous past romps that did nothing to hinder his currently moody mood. It only helped enhance the extraordinary gaudiness of the overly decorated room, wanting of rich, dirty elegance. Lamps were half covered by colorful silk scarves, casting a dim glow that dragged away into darkness. Upon a Roman styled couch, a slender, lithe figure lay, one arm cast lazily behind his head, the other entangled in his sweetly auburn curls, his fingers draped across his cheek. His eyes were dark, and flashed in Artemis's direction as soon as he was in view, casting what might have been a sensual look. Might have been, thought Artemis to himself in disgust, if the man had any proper sense of his balls. For indeed, this daringly mysterious stranger of ours was dressed in thin, see-through sheets of a dark red gauzy fabric that was reminiscent of a female's shawl, adorned over almost the entire length of his body, accompanied with leather pants that peeped out from beneath, one leg bent and crossed over the other. His face was far too delicate, his curls too long and silky, and his voice sounded like someone imitating a dog in masturbation. "A nightgown," the stranger whispered, seeing where Artemis was staring. "It's very pretty, do you want to touch it?"

Artemis relaxed his face into the habitual blank glare, and refused to reply to such a questionable question. "I'm here because of our arranged..activity, Mr. Niil" he decided to state with the perfect hint of cold contempt, deciding that this was the perfect time to set this..man, into his priorities. Butler had never made a mistake when it came to hiring those for Artemis's supposed entertainment, but, now, he felt himself unwillingly questioning Butler's sound judgment. However, none of this would have been necessary, had Mother not been so determined in her "Arty" finding a decent hobby. _It's not proper for a boy to be alone all the time._ Artemis found himself about to snort in derision, but luckily stopped himself in time from doing it out loud.

"Oh, so you're eager to begin. I like that," and with great splendor and aplomb, Mr. Niil eased himself off of the velvet-lined cushions on which he had been recently resting upon. The gold tassels on the ends blinked merrily in the dim lighting as he picked up two large flat pillows and proceeded past Artemis. Taking a careful step backwards to avoid contact, Artemis blinked slowly, unsure of where this was going. It appeared that a certain someone had neglected to inform the poor boy as to where this all this nonsense was leading to, and thus explained his agitated state. For as long as Artemis had remained in this strange room, an antagonizing feeling of nervousness had pervaded every inch of his body in an un-Arty like way, and it was quite un-normal to see the poor thing sweat. Though the intoxicating smoke from candles and incense along with the recycled air and heat had nothing to do with it.

"Just what is it that I have been scheduled to do?" asked Artemis in a hard voice, feeling the great need to establish his dominance and superiority as quickly as possible. It was not that he felt threatened, only the fact that this meeting was _so_ unlike the others that Butler had been forced to specially assign for him. Again, his mother's words came to his mind with brisk forcefulness, despite his efforts to prevent them, however, they were recited in a masculine voice. _You're a lovely boy, Artemis, why don't the others like you? _Hmm, he wondered, could it possibly be because my very presence demands their unwilling attention? Because my obvious superior intellect refuses to be restrained by their mundane views on morality, business, and teen living? How unlikely of me.

A voice spoke again._ It's true though Artemis, you are rather pretty. _There was a long pause, as if the voice inside was allowing Artemis to have a few moments to himself to gape inwardly, though his lips luckily remained sternly closed due to mere habit. I'm-what? _Beautiful, enchanting, and even when you don't try, seductive. I see the way you look at yourself in the reflection of your laptop screen when no one else is around, the way you touch your hair, how you-_Stop! Artemis glanced around quickly, knowing that no other person besides him could have heard what was being said, yet the voice in his ears was too loud, too close for comfort, as if someone was right beside him.

_Why should I? I know you like it.._Artemis could have sworn he heard laughter just to the right of him, but didn't bother this time to check if someone was there. There was absolutely nothing wrong with hearing things, as long as nosy, interfering people did not hear them as well.

The buzz in his head took his silence as positive. _So, you've accepted me! How sweet. 'I'll try to satisfy you as well as I can, Master Artemis'. _Making fun of Butler, now are we? _Only if it excited you._ ..What!

Luckily, to break this string of disdainful dialogue that seemed to happen the longer he stayed here, Artemis was distracted by Mr. Niil. Secretly (well, as secret as he could be from that thing inside of him) he was relieved. Certainly, such vulgar thoughts could not be his? It was not possible for him to even conceive the thought that he ever thought such undesirable thoughts in his life. Leave that to the common man, to a public schooled student or the cashier in a family owned grocery store. Artemis Fowl the Second was surely above such mediocre philosophy.

He had been subconsciously following the Mr. Niil down corridors, which were more brightly lit than the personal office of duskiness that he had just left, and had bumped into him from behind as the man abruptly stopped. Carrying himself rapidly away from that physical contact, Artemis stepped around the still man to peer at exactly what the man was staring at. It was a horrendous sight for innocent, un-expecting eyes to ever glimpse.

There were men, in hot, sweaty tights, doing upward kicks and swiveling on the tips of their toes, the fabric covering their bodies stretched as far possible as elastic clothing could without breaking, showing every bump and ridge of every straining sinew and muscle. They performed with a strange grace that defied the techno music blasting in the background as the men leapt to each other, embracing in midair, before twisting around and spiraling down to land on perfect toes. Kicking, jumping, sweating, whirling, the men continued their routine dance at complete unawares of two guests watching.

A strange rush of light-headedness attacked Artemis, and he struggled not to lose his façade of unaffected calmness. "I refuse to partake in such acts," he declared breathlessly, now regretting the discontinuation of his small chat with his little inner self. "Don't be silly," Mr. Niil snapped, as if breaking out of reverie. "What I'm going to show/teach you is much less physically excruciating, not to mention you are nowhere near to _their_ physical perfection." He paused, and the slight frown on his features shifted into a dazzling smile that lit his entire face, the unnaturally sparkly white teeth glinting in the light. Not that Artemis noticed, mind you. "Though, I will gladly mold your body with my bare hands, Artemis darling." And with that, Mr. Niil continued down the hall with the two pillows in hand.

Good, Artemis thought to himself, suddenly eager for the chance to slip back into his unconscious. He began to ignore 'Mr. Niil' right after the "Don't be silly," part of the conversation, considering that what the man was going to say next wasn't worth knowing. After all, all those times he spent with himself alone had caused him to realize something very important. There was no need for contact with inferior humans when he had someone just right for him.

A soft snicker echoed in his left ear.

Who else knew his secrets, his petty desires, the lurches he suffered when he glimpsed Butler wearing a tight pink maid dress, worn especially for him? The mere remembrance of the situation brought a faint tinge of red to the tips of his slightly pointy ears. Who aggravated him with annoying quotes from the past, whether recent or far back into the years, simply to taunt him with an eagerness that tickled?

For a long time, Artemis had been disappointed with himself, with the others in his 'family'. He was half-ashamed that his mother didn't understand his urge to be alone, to be solitary, to hear the silence that understood him. It was disconcerting to realize that the person whom was most close to you, from the earliest that you could remember, could betray you again and again against your wishes. How can I depend on you again, Butler? Rely on you like I used to, when you constantly affiliate with the enemy?

_Great. Now you're angsting. Pathetic, really._

Joined Them, have you now?

Who else could access his every thought, compete against him mentally, and win?

I can.

I do.

And I will.

_You mean we will._

Feeling slightly pleased with himself, Artemis continued down the never-ending hallway, a hidden smile lurking about his lips.

YS

**Ok, I admit, I got off track there…It's too easy to play around with Artemis, even though he is OOC here, but..I like this kind of Arty o.O I also enjoy Mr. Niil, and the er jumping men (they're ballerinas in training, in case that wasn't obvious). Also, the thought of Artemis slowly growing insane is pretty cute strokes it unless of course, I can't handle to write it strangles that thought Hope you enjoyed it as well P Plus, I will go into further depth in the upcoming chapters, since this one seems rather lacking, nier..Oh yeah, and feel free to flame. I mean it. Give me everything you got, I'm interested in what happens when a reviewer let's loose. It's healthy, yes?**


	2. Breaking in a Quiet Mood

A/N: I am utterly hopeless. For the moment, I've lost any sarcasm/wittiness that was abundant in the last chapter. So this one is definitely more subdued (unfortunately). I blame it on the sentimental, depressing music I'm listening to.

To: Kuramas Girl Angel

Thank you for the advice. I really do think I should change my summary anyway, since it doesn't describe my story that well, eh? Also, thank you for reviewing! teary You're my first!

Disclaimer: Artemis Fowl is too great to be chained down.

**Twitchings of the Left Eye**

Chapter 2 Breaking in a Quiet Mood

The spacious room they arrived in was covered from floor to wall in a thick, blue mat that yielded slightly to the pressure of their footfalls. The fluorescent lighting was overwhelmingly strong, invading into all corners so that even the shadows cast by the two occupants seemed weakly dim. Here, Mr. Niil placed down the two pillows, separated from each other by a foot and a half.

"Now," Mr. Niil pointed, "sit." He sat down on the leftmost cushion and crossed his leather-coated legs. The seemingly soft gold tassels had a hard glint to them, when now viewed under this harsh light, and their sparkle caught Artemis's eye.

Artemis remained standing. He had noticed the change in Mr. Niil's behavior, the drop of the fruity, exceedingly flamboyant tone, ever since the owner of the building had caught the man making passes at the younger teen.

"I suppose you have an idea as to what we're about to do?" asked Mr. Niil, his attention completely focused on the other's face, as if the situation in the office room/hallway had never occurred.

Breaking out of his thoughtful silence, Artemis paused, and looked about the room, his eye taking in the discarded gymnastic equipment standing in a corner. There was something malignant about the thin metal beams, the dangling ropes, the extra rolled-up mats. He immediately looked back towards Mr. Niil.

"Some form of calisthenics dealing with rotary movement, the stretching of muscles, and joint twists?"

"Why..yes. Rudimentary yoga, if you will."

"I'd rather not."

A look of slight irritation crossed Mr. Niil's face. That pompous, arrogant, rich brat. However, the remembrance of the amount of money he was being paid for the session caused a sickly, strained smile to remain plastered on, for mere courtesy's sake.

"We will start of fairly easy. I will keep things simple, so as you can follow along with no amount of difficulty. Even you should be able to do it." Here, Mr. Niil's smile became genuine as he removed his red shawl. Let the genius take that. Underneath, he was bare-chested, and he threw the covering with a nonchalant glance onto a spot of floor.

"In case you haven't noticed, neither of us is properly attired for this kind of 'training'."

Mr. Niil ignored him. "Let's start with meditation, it is incredibly important to relax, and let loose the tension in your muscles, or else muscle cramps will occur. Remove any outside thoughts, and let your mind wander freely. A loose mind equals a loose body."

Flexing his shoulders, Mr. Niil looked towards Artemis, and again made a gesture for Artemis to sit down on the other pillow.

Artemis didn't catch the look, as he was now staring at the floor, his eyes seemingly vacant as if he was gazing at something else other than the blue mat indented underneath his brown loafers. The boy's eyebrows were knitted together, and as Mr. Niil's gaze lowered down Artemis's body, he noticed that the boy was standing stiffly, as if trying to control himself.

"Artemis?"

No response.

The room became increasingly silent as Mr. Niil stared at him.

A sigh escaped. What was this kid's problem? Was he schizo? Fine, let the boy do whatever he wanted, for the next hour or so, until the black limo came to pick him up again. It wasn't his problem, he wasn't hired to be this kid's babysitter. He was not going to fight or argue, nor force anyone to do anything. After all, he was still getting paid.

A tiny part of him was worried that Artemis was contemplating on how to properly sue him for sexual harassment.

Ah wells. It wouldn't be the first time. Leaning over, Mr. Niil took the neglected pillow without rising from his seat, then placed it nearer to himself to rest his head against. Back to the nap.

That was when the low muttering began.

An hour later-

The limo ride home was quiet, as usual. The new driver that had been hired in Butler's stead was one of the stoic types, believing that one must be seen and not heard when in the presence of his employer. The radio had been turned off when Artemis complained about the racket, though Mozart was playing, one of his personal favorites.

Artemis sat straight up, his back a rigid line that refused to bend. He was watching out of the side window, the tint obscuring the light so that even the sunlight seemed dull. The laptop remained faithfully at his side, unopened.

He was reflecting at what had happened just recently. When had he allowed his character to break so openly? Thank goodness he had somewhat regained himself by the time Mr. Niil brought them to the spare gym room, but still…that lapse..in public…

It was merely the unfamiliarity of the situation that unnerved him, and caused him to act irrationally. Nothing more. But, that was not a good enough excuse, and he knew it.

His fingers clenched into fists in his lap.

He didn't dare to even point out the fact that the whole time he was loosing himself, something inside was laughing and mocking him.

He didn't accept it after all. (1)

YS-

An extreme change in the mood from chapter 1. I made chapter 1 that way on purpose, to properly describe how subconsciously cracked up Artemis was becoming, from the way he perceived things to how he reacted to simple situations. Haha, I hope I didn't scare anyone by that. Though, if you're reading this right now, then you're really something for having lasted this long. This chapter is more of his doubt at himself, and how mentally strong he thinks he is. Ack! I'm a mood writer. However I'm feeling ends up on paper --

(1) "The buzz in his head took his silence as positive. _So, you've accepted me! How sweet. 'I'll try to satisfy you as well as I can, Master Artemis'. _Making fun of Butler, now are we? _Only if it excited you._ ..What!" --that was what I referring to in the last line, just so you'll know


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